A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader has stirred a controversy after he said “triple talaq is better than killing a woman” with political rivals criticising his statement on the controversial Islamic practice that permits instant separation.

Riyaz Ahmed, head of the party’s minority wing in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, also claimed men resorted to triple talaq when a woman was found involved in an extramarital affair.

“The option of instant triple talaq is (used) to separate from a woman having an extramarital affair,” Ahmed told reporters at the party’s office in Bareilly on Sunday.

Ahmed, a former Uttar Pradesh minister, also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of raising the issue of triple talaq only to gain political mileage.

“If the BJP government is so concerned about the upliftment of Muslim women, they should provide an 8% special reservation for them,” he said while speaking to reporters.

“The BJP is only raising these issues to show the Muslim community in a poor light and polarise the society,” he said.

The former minister also asserted that the divorce rate among Hindus was higher than it was among Muslims.

The ruling party condemned his statement.

“The statement reflects the mindset of people towards Muslim women. How can we ever expect such leaders to think of the welfare of women?” Rajesh Rathore, BJP Bareilly district president, asked.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that the practice followed by Muslim men was unconstitutional and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which provides for equality before the law.

The bill abolishing the practice of instant triple talaq, passed by the Lok Sabha, is pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Centre has shortlisted the bill for passage during the current Monsoon Session of Parliament.